FIA seized “Swindlers” impersonating army officers

KARACHI: In Punjab, FIA has busted a gang involved in swindling who was impersonating as military officials to get millions of rupees from innocent people over phone calls or by enchanting them with the bulk of lotteries.

The gang was capable of even creating fake thumb impression by stealing the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) databases. According to FIA investigation, the gang used a preplanned strategy before deploying their plans.

FIA Cyber Crime Wing’s deputy director Shahid Hassan told that “These fraudsters have invented a technology, capable of manipulating NADRA system, biometric system and even other sensitive operations of the country including the issuance of SIMs and changing the modules of SIMs.”

He added, they converted thumbprints from NADRA database on silicon sheets for making the encrypted SIMs useable. The suspects ran their office in a village, located on the outskirts of Sargodha.

From their headquarters, illegal foreign exchange, machines for making fake thumb impressions, hundreds of cell phones, millions of SIMs and people’s computerized national identity cards (CNICs) among other items were recovered.

The officer has also made an appeal to the masses to not share their private sensitive information over telephones in hunger of winning lotteries or prices. During last month, the media wing of Pakistan army has warned people to beware of telephone calls by those impersonating army officials.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “The impersonators try to seek personal information like CNIC, bank accounts etc. on the pretext of census verification. Please be aware that Pakistan armed officials have not made such phone calls.”

The military media wing further added, “People are requested to not share any information and if they receive any call, immediately report the same on emergency helpline UAN 1135 and 1125.”

In January, the same appeal was made from Pakistan armed forces do not share any personal detail over the phone made by fraudsters impersonating armed officials on the pretext of census verification.